Food production in the EU is dominated by agro-industrial multinationals, supermarket chains and wholesalers.

Increasing market concentration is having extremely negative consequences for farmers and consumers, for while farmers receive less money for their produce at the farm gate the lower price they receive is not passed on in consumer prices.

This resolution of the Parliament aimed to introduce measures to combat the distorting effects of market concentration and to launch research examining profit margins along the food supply chain.

The Greens believe that the dominant position of a small number of agro-industrial multinationals and major supermarket chains is threatening the livelihoods of European farmers and reducing consumers' purchasing power.

At the global level, severe consequences of this food chain distortion are causing price spikes for various basic foodstuffs, notably wheat.

This, in turn, causes hunger and unrest in the world's poorest countries.

The Greens succeeded in incorporating several key elements into the report, including on transparency, fair competition, the differentiation of competitiveness, measures designed to combat abuses of market position, resale at loss, food quality and speculation, amongst other issues.